Vacuum cleaner



April 25, 1944. D. M. 00w

VACUUM CLEANER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 VENTOR TTORNEY Filed Oct. 9, 1959 R .Y M OW E e T N m m .r v jT a N T 9 A h S 2 April 25, 1944.

Patented Apr. 25, 1944 VACUUM CLEANER Dewey M. Dow,

Electric Appliance corporation of Del Toledo, Ohio, assignor to Air-Way Corporation, Toledo, Ohio, a aware Application October 9, 1939, Serial No. 298,608

3 Claims.

This invention relates to vacuum cleaners and more particularly concerns a construction for such devices seeking to reduce the operating noises generated by'the suction creating unit and the passage of air into and from the filtering unit. This invention also contemplates as a means to aiding the reduction of the noise a completely new embodiment ofthe means and method of organizing a filtering unit and mode of suspending same from the handle of the cleaner. f

The elimination of noise in any device or appliance having a rotating element and especially in those devices having parts that rotate at comparatively high speeds is very essential. when working out the problem in stationary devices it is very materially simplified in that rubber mountings can be extensively employed and in many instances the entire machine may be encased in a sound procfed housing. When it comes to portable devices a vastly different situation is presented in that lightness of the appliance or device is a necessaryconccmitant of the sound proof characteristics or sound absorbing devices built into the appliance or device.

Bearing the latter, views in mind, the applicant has developed a light, efilcient and inexpensive sound proofing or sound absorbing device for a vacuum cleaner. The problem was complicated in the instant case by reason of the fact that the disposable type of bag prevented the use of devices built permanently into the bag.

The object of this invention is to construct a vacuum cleaner in which the operating noise of the cleaner is materially reduced.

Another object of this invention is the production of a silencing device which is capableof being employed in connection with a porous paper type of filtering unit.

A still further object of the invention is the construction of a vacuum cleaner having a sound proof outer support for a filtering unit employing a porous paper dust separator.

A furtherobiect'of'the invention is the constru ctionofa cleaner in which the'sound absorb ing or muiiiing means enables the withdrawal of the dust filter without disturbing thesound absorbing or muiliing means and in which the sound absorbing or muflling means and dust filter while in cooperative relation to each other are not disposed one within the other.

A still further object of the invention is to construct an outer support for a dust filter which, while enabling the employment of a paper dust -end of-the cleaner handle enabling the outer support to swing clear of the paper bag to thereby facilitate its removal;

Other and still further objects are to sound proof the outer cover or support, its mountings relative to the handle and the suction creating unit.

Other and still further objects of the invention will appear, as the description proceeds, to those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains. While the drawings set forth the pre ferred embodiments of the invention and the more desirable modifications thereof. such disclosures are not to be taken as limitations of the invention but any and all modifications, variations and alterations coming within the spirit and scopemf the invention are intended to be included within the invention, which is limited only by the appended claims. That which is deemed the preferred embodiment and the modifications are set forth in the appended specification and in drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a general elevational view vacuum cleaner embodying the invention.

Figure 2 is a view showing the filter with'a portion of one of the side walls folded back to show the paper filter in position.

Figure 3 is a section taken along the line 3-3 oi Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a section view taken along the line 44 of Figure 3 but showing the paper bag inflated.

Figure 5 is a sectional elevational view of the means for supporting the filter assembly from ofa the upper end of the handle.

Figure6 is a sectional elevational view showing the coupling whereby the filtering unit is attached to the fan outlet.

separator in connection with a sound absorbing or mullling means, still enables the elimination of the sound.

A still further object of the invention is the production of an outer support for a paper dust view taken along the line of the filter shown in Figure 9 showing the inlet to the filtering unit.

Figure 12 is a view similar to Figure 7 showing the method oi holding the outer support in posi tion of the modification of Figure 9.

Figure 13 is a view similar to Figure but "showing a modification of the structure in which a portion or side is hinged and taken along the line I3l3 of Figure 1.6.

Figure 14 is a view similar to Figure 13 but showing the outer support in a closed position.

Figure shows a detail of the locking means for keeping the hinged portion of the modification of Figure it closed.

Figure 16 is a fractional side elevational of the modification of Figures 13 and 1e.

Numeral i designates genei ally'a portable type oi vacuum cleaner. The cleaner consists of a door tool device 2 comprising a nozzle device 3 which is vertically adjustable by means of mech anism similar to that shown and described in U. 8. Patent No. 2,102,22l, owned by the assignee hereof. A rotary agitator (not shown) is rotat ably mounted in the mouth of nozzle 3 which is driven by a motor 5 disposed above the floor tool and belt connected to the agitator. Power is supplied to motor d from the fan motor terminals by means'of conductor a. a rubber bumper e is placed about the nozzle 3 to prevent any nos view " sible injury to it or to articles of iurnitureor interior trim in the home.

Extending rearwardly from the nozzle 3 is the exhaust outlet 1 to which the suction creating unit 8 and handle l3 and filter 2d are swivelly connected by means of a coupling device it simi lar to that shown in U. 8. Patent No. 1,990,465 wherein the functions and purposes of the construction are detailed. r

The suction creating unit comprises a motor or prime mover which drives a fan (not shown) disposed in housing 02. Means have been pro:- vided whereby suction produced by the fan and motor unit is directed to either the nozzle 2 or to the hollow handle 83. This means comprises a valve structure id shown in greater detail in U. S. Patent No. 1,345,550. Fan housing Ed has the valve housing l5 superposed thereon and car rice the valve M. The valve housing has an extension It into which the connecting tube or element ii is clamped, the other end oi which tube is swiveily held in the coupling id.

The upper end of the valve housing has an extension is into which the handle it is clamped. Disposed immediately below the handle extension it is the fan discharge outlet it which also reeis/es the bag coupling hereinafter described in greater detail. It is evident therefore that the fan wiil discharge air through opening or extension it whether coming from the handle 62 or the floor tool 3 depending upon which way the valve id is set.

Suspended beneath the handle it is the filter unit it. This unit is held pivotally to the switch unit it at its one end and its opposite end is fixed about the extension it oi the-fan case it. The

filtering unit consists of an inner paper filter 2! which is of the same general construction as that shown in U. 5. Patent No. 1,970,190. Paper'filter ii is covered or surrounded by an outer support 22 made from an impervious flexible material. in order that the outer covergnay be maintained in a shape similar to that shown in Figure 3, there are arranged at each end of the filter unit upper portion of the outer cover 22 may be main tained in a taut or stretched condition, there is disposed a rod 28 extending between plates 23 and 24. A rod 21 is similarly disposed between the plates 23 and 24 in the lower part of the filter unit which serves the same purpose as rod 26. Each of the rods are secured in the plates 23 and 2d and are held in position by castle nuts 28, 28, etc. Also secured to the plate Ed by a securing means 29a is a knob structure 29, preferably made of rubber, which cooperates with a slidable lever or bracket 36 for holding the upper end oi the filter unit it in position. A more detailed description oi how bracket 3% operates may be had by referring to U. 8. Patent 1,965,059.

The opposite end of the filter, in which plate 22 is arranged, is fitted onto extension is of the fan housing. Plate 23 has an aperture as at 38. over which the plate 3! is fitted. The latter plate also has an aperture 36 and a flange 35 integral therewith. Means are provided whereby there is no sound or vibrations transmitted from the suction unit d, said means comprising a rubber element at fitted into the aperture 3%. The rubber element which is tubular in shape has a. flange iii integral therewith which flange abuts the plate 35 adjacent the opening 35. The rubber element prevents the transmission of the sounds and vibrations aforesaid. Means must also be provided whereby the lower end of the filter may be attached to the extension is. To this end a second tubular element 38 which is flanged as at dd is adapted to cooperate with the rubber elementdd and the flange 38 of tubular element 38 abuts the flanged portion 31 of rubber element 35. The aperture so of element 38 is adapted to be coaxial with the opening in extension is of fan case E2.

The mode of attachment of the lower end of the filter unit to the extension is is shown in detail in Fig. 7. The extension is is reduced in outside diameter at its end portion as indicated I at dl over .whiohportion the end of tubular elenient 38 fits. Tubular element as has aperture d2 (Fig. 6) therein which cooperates with a threaded aperture it in extension l9. A screw (id is inserted therein which holds the tubular element in place. Diametrically disposed to the screw to is a'thurnb screw 45 which is held relative to the extension is by a bracket to secured thereto by a screw means dl as shown. There are suitable apertures provided in the tubular plate elements 23 and 25 which are peripherally flanged and equipped with clasps or snap fas tenors 25, the cooperating portion of the clasp or snap fastener being arranged in the edge of the outer support cover 22. In order that the element 38 and. in the extension as toreceive the threaded and of the thumb screw which aids to hold the tubular element in position. The

thumb SQTGWll'lif! D8 threaded into the extension it if so desired. A further purpose of the screw 35 will be described in connection with the holding of the bag coupling in position.

Paper filter 25 has coupling is assembled therein which is similar in construction to that shown in U. S. Patent No. Re. 18,962. The end of the coupling projecting from the paper bag has a groove it in it and since this end of the coupling is is inserted into the opening to to hold it in position, the end of thumb screw to engages with the groove as aforesaid and prevents any relative axial motion oi the bag coupling and the extension is.

The outer cover 22 or the dust collector it, as has been previously indicated, is impervious to air. Air escaping from the ian through the outlet extension 59 and from the paper bag creates the greater quantity of noise and the silencing of this noise is one of the purposes oi this invention. To this end there is arranged in the dust collector 20 a means whereby the air may escape from the collector very quietly. The outer cover 22 is not only imperv'ous to air but it is also sound resistant. The discharge air is led out to the atmosphere through a tube 50 arranged in the dust collector 20 as shown in Fig. 4. The tube 50 has at its inner end an elbow leading into the space occupied by the paper bag. Air also finds its way into the tube 50 through auxiliary inlets 52, 52, etc., arranged therein. Surrounding the tube 50 is a mass of highly porous sound proofing material 53 which deadens the sound of the air escaping from the dust collector through the tube 50. The outer cover 22 completely enfolds the tube and its sound proofing material to make a compact maneuverable structure. In order that the sound proofing material may be kept about tube 50, a pervious cover 85 is assembled above the material 52 which keeps it about the tube 55.

Figure 8 shows a slightly modified form of the dust collector construction. The parts are related in exactly the same manner and some parts bear primed numbers. It will be observed that in the construction involving Figures 1-7 that the sides of the dust collector 20 fall straight from the upper portion leaving the bag a substantial amount of space and in fact unsupported over certain of its areas. In the modified form of Figure 8 the end plates supporting the cover are formed in a manner such that theouter cover 22 will substantially assume the shape of the infiated paper filter 2i as shown. More of the surface of the paper bag 2| will be supported thereby adding to the life of the bag.

In each of the modifications the outer cover is capable of being opened and closed. In the specific instance the outer covers 22 and 22 are provided with a zipper means 54 and 54' whereby the outer cover may be opened for the removal of the paper bags. The bags are removable by loosening the thumb screw 45, then removing the coupling 48 from the fan exhaust extension 15 and thence bodily removing the bag from the outer cover. By a reverse process another bag may be reassembled in the outer cover.

Figures 9, 10, 11 and 12 show a modification of the outer cover construction. The handle, paper bag, bag coupling and silencing devices have exactly the same relationship toward each other as in Figs. 1-7. Only the variations in structure and function will now be discussed.

The outer cover 55 of the dust collector unit 56 comprises a rigid metallic structure preferably made of a material such as a thin gauge aluminum or magnesium alloy and lined with rubber 8| or other sound proofing material. The cover 55 has end walls 58 and 59. A part of the end wall 58 has assembled thereon the connections 35', 31 and 38 for connecting the opening in the cover to the fan discharge extension ll. The relationship of these parts is as previously discussed.

The cover in this instance has a single hinge 60 located at the upper end of the dustcollector 56. The lower part 62 of the dust collector is adapted to drop away from the upper part 53 which is rigidly attached to the fan discharge and to the switch element 54, although a construction similar to that shown in Fig. 5 previously discussed might also be employed. The lower part 52 of the cover is by reason of the hinge 50 adapted to fall away from the upper part 53 thereby enabling the bag 55 to be removed in the manner previously discussed. The upper part 63 of the cover 55 has an oifset portion 81 into which the lower part 52 of the cover frictionally fits to keep the two parts in assembled relation. To provide additional support for the bag a coarse mesh bag holder 58 may be suitably hung from the side walls of the cover 55. The lower part of the cover part 52 has a holding means 55 above the sound proofing material, enclosing tube 50', for retaining same in position. Auxiliary means for keeping cover part 52 in position consists of a spring pressed lock III which engages an appropriate'shoulder ll fixed to plate 58 and which is actuated by a push button device 12. The parts of the filter such as the sound proofing and silencing units function similarly to that described in connection with Figs. 1-7.

Figures 13-16 show a iurther modification of the cover device. In this instance the same rigid assembly as in Figs. 10-12 is employed with the provision of a cover device that is hinged along the side of the dust collector. This hinged cover portion 13 is hinged to the dust collector 14 at 15; The collector at its upper portion has an offset 15 with which the portion 13 frictionally engages to hold the cover in the locked position. An auxiliary coarse mesh bag support II for the paper bag 18 is suitably hung from the dust collector and cover respectively. The device functions similarly to that of Figures 9-12 and the collector ll is also lined with a sound proofing material as shown.

That which is considered new, novel and useful and which it is sought to protect by Letters Patent of the United States is as follows:

1. A vacuum cleaner filter unit cover comprising a pair of end plates, each of said plates having means thereon to mount the same on said cleaner; means extending between said plates to maintain them in a spaced relationship; an impervious cover fitted over said plates and removably secured thereto; closure means on said cover; and means to discharge air from said cover. said means comprising a tube connected to the atmosphere and surrounded by a porous sound absorbing material.

2. In a vacuum cleaner dust collecting cover organization; said cover having sound resistant and air tight walls forming a chamber; means on said cover adapted to permit access to said chamber and sound muiiling means to discharge air from said chamber, said means including a perforated tube connected to the atmosphere and surrounded by porous sound absorbing material adapted to freely conduct air to said tube.

3. In a filter enclosure assembly for a vacuum cleaner; outer supports on said assembly having means thereon to support same on said cleaner; rigid means extending between said supports; a sound resistant means extending between and over said supports and having a closure means thereon, said supports and said sound resistant I means forming a chamber; means to discharge air from said chamber, said means including a tubular element disposed within the chamber and said tubular element surrounded by sound proofing material to mufiie the sound of air escaping from said chamber.

DEWEY M. DOW. 

